Art on theMART, the largest permanent art projection in the world, returns April 1, 2020 to illuminate the river-façade of the historic landmark theMART (formerly Merchandise Mart). The program is expanding to project every night from April 1 through December 31, 2020 with content that rotates seasonally, beginning April 1 with Art on theMART’s spring 2020 program. The program features collaborations with longstanding Chicago institutions including the Art Institute of Chicago, whose projection transforms iconic masterpieces by Claude Monet in conjunction with the museum’s exhibition Monet and Chicago; Arts of Life, whose 20th anniversary celebration projection takes inspiration from works created by artists affected by developmental disabilities; and The Adler Planetarium, which celebrates its 90th anniversary and the 2020 Year of Chicago Music with a sweeping, four-part visual exploration of the universe, accompanied by music by Sun Ra from the Experimental Sound Studio archives. Arts of Life and the Art Institute of Chicago projections will launch April 1, and the Adler Planetarium projection will launch May 16 in alignment with the City of Chicago’s Chicago Riverwalk opening celebration.
“We are delighted to kick off the 2020 program season with such strong content partners,” said Cynthia Noble, Executive Director of Art on theMART. “As we begin year three of theMART’s long-term partnership with the City of Chicago, we are already becoming an integral part of the cultural fabric of the city and an iconic public art platform that amplifies what is important to Chicagoans and the world.”
Art on theMART’s spring 2020 program schedule is detailed below:
Art Institute of Chicago (April 1 – September 20)
Art on theMART projects iconic artworks by Claude Monet in collaboration with the Art Institute of Chicago’s upcoming exhibition Monet and Chicago (May 10 – September 7), which explores Chicago’s pioneering connection to the great Impressionist artist. Six of Monet’s artworks will transform into a projection piece that engages directly with Chicago’s architectural landscape.
“In 1903, the Art Institute of Chicago became the first American museum to purchase a painting by Claude Monet,” said Gloria Groom, Art Institute of Chicago’s Chair of European Painting and Sculpture and David and Mary Winton Green Curator. “Today, the museum holds the largest collection of works by the artist outside of Paris. Chicagoans have long been passionate about Monet, and we're proud to collaborate with Art on theMART to celebrate our city’s lasting connection to this great Impressionist artist.”
Arts of Life (April 1 – May 12)
City Circle Heart features five studio artists’ work in a custom animation designed to interact with the unique architecture of theMART. The projection takes inspiration from those impacted by Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) which often affects those with learning disabilities. While the effects of SPD can vary from person to person, the projection creates a calm and soothing display of visual work that will attract people of all abilities to appreciate the movement, colors and unique soundscape created for theMART’s river-façade. The projection features original artwork by Arts of Life artists Marcelo Añón, Veronica Cuculich, Stefan Harhaj, Hector Jones and Maria Vanik with motion graphics and sound production by Lisa Armstrong.
“Art on theMART provides an ideal opportunity to highlight our commitment to supporting artistic expression, to providing professional development opportunities for artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities and to introducing our artists’ work to new audiences,” said Denise Fisher, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Arts of Life. “This featured presentation will build on the momentum of recent public art displays in the Chicago Cultural Center, the Wrigley Building and within theMART to create our largest public display to date - a perfect culminating project for our 20th Anniversary.”
The Adler Planetarium (Opening May 16)
Astrographics explores the ways in which humans conceptualize and visualize the universe, and how that has changed over time. The piece consists of four movements (Earth, Other Worlds, Stars and Beyond) that step out to progressively deeper and more speculative realms. Each of these movements feature scientific visualizations produced by The Adler Planetarium’s Space Visualization Group, woven together with imagery from the world’s telescopes and works on paper from the Adler’s collections. The visual journey is accompanied by music pieces from the Sun Ra archives, curated by the Experimental Sound Studio. The piece honors the progress that has occurred in the 90 years since The Adler Planetarium was founded on May 12, 1930, becoming the first planetarium in the Americas.
Astrographics kicks off Art on theMART’s 2020 program alignment with the 2020 Year of Chicago Music, a city-wide celebration of Chicago’s music community spearheaded by the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), to present never-before-seen, multi-sensory projections honoring the future of music-making in Chicago on a grand scale. The launch of the projection on May 16 will align with the City of Chicago’s Chicago Riverwalk opening celebration. (The projection will preview May 13 – 15 in advance of the public event). Astrographics end date to be announced at a later date.
“The collaboration between the Adler Planetarium and Art on the Mart has been quite a natural one,” said Mark SubbaRao, Ph.D., Director, Space Visualization Laboratory, Adler Planetarium. “The visualizations we create at the Adler are always a mix of science and art. This project gives us an opportunity to further emphasize the artistic elements of our work. We are fortunate to work on the unique dome theater screens at the Adler Planetarium. To have our one-of-a-kind space visualizations also be a part of the largest permanent digital art projection in the world is truly exciting.”
Art on theMART’s 2020 projection programs are 30 minutes in duration and will play twice each evening (totaling one hour of projection time). Projections begin at 8:30pm from April 1 – May 31, at 9pm from June 1 – August 31, and at 8:30pm from September 1 – December 31. Accompanying audio is accessible through the permanent speaker system located on the Chicago Riverwalk Jetty.
About Art on theMART
Art on theMART is the largest permanent art projection in the world, illuminating new media artwork across the 2.5 acre river-façade of theMART. This expansive permanent public art platform continues Chicago’s legacy of providing both residents and visitors with exceptional art that is both free and accessible to all. Privately funded by Vornado Realty Trust, owner of theMART, Art on theMART marks the first time a projection of its size and scope is completely dedicated to projecting new media artwork. The program is selected with the assistance and expertise of the Curatorial Advisory Board and operates in partnership with the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Projections are visible to the public from Wacker Drive and along the Chicago Riverwalk, with content rotating seasonally from April through December. Art on theMART will launch its spring program in April 2020. For more information, visit artonthemart.com or follow @artonthemart.
About Arts of Life
Opened in 2000, Arts of Life was the first program in Chicago to provide meaningful vocational opportunities in the arts for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The studio serves as both an alternative day program and creative epicenter for its artists. A second location was opened in Glenview in 2010 at the request of North Shore families seeking similar revolutionary programming. Today the two studios support 60 artists in their creative practices and professional development. Driven by our Four Core Values, every artist works with the studio team to create individualized, professional development goals to advance their creative practice. Inspiring Artistic Expression, Building Community, Promoting Self-Respect, and Developing Independence. In addition to their art making practices, each studio boasts a band – The Arts of Life Band and Van Go Go – which perform at venues across Chicago-land. For more information, visit artsoflife.org.
About the Art Institute of Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago is the only museum in the world to be top-ranked by TripAdvisor seven years in a row. Home to over 300,000 works of art from across the centuries and around the world, the Art Institute of Chicago has something for everyone. Find iconic works by Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe, Andy Warhol and Cindy Sherman—along with lesser-known treasures that will soon become favorites. Immerse yourself in an audio tour, create a customized family adventure, or simply find a gallery bench and sit in the presence of the greats. Round out your visit with a stop in one of the museum’s cafés and gift shops. For more information, visit artic.edu.
About The Adler Planetarium
The Adler Planetarium connects people to the Universe and each other. Whether it is introducing a guest to the Ring Nebula, a neighborhood school to a community partner, a research team to a network of citizen scientists, or one staff member to another, the Adler’s focus on meaningful connections dates back nearly a century.
Today, the museum hosts more than half a million visitors each year and reaches millions more through youth STEM programs, neighborhood skywatching events, online citizen science, and other outreach projects. With the Adler’s support, people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities gain the confidence to explore their Universe together and return to their communities ready to think critically and creatively about any challenge that comes their way. For more information, visit adlerplanetarium.org.
About 2020 Year of Chicago Music
Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events have designated 2020 as the Year of Chicago Music. This citywide, year-long focus on music is one of the first of its kind in the U.S. The City of Chicago and its partners working with the local music industry will launch a marketing campaign for Chicago music; provide additional financial grants for musicians and music projects; encourage dialog around inclusion and equity; and call on civic, philanthropic, arts and business leaders to support the music industry. A signature event of the Year is “Chicago In Tune,” a new 18-day, citywide celebration of music from May 21 – June 7, 2020. For updates, visit yearofchicagomusic.org and chicago.gov/music, and join the conversation on social media using #YearofChicagoMusic, #ChicagoMusic and #ChicagoInTune